A Good Day
by Destiny13
Summary: I never really came...back. Well, I wish you would. Jim's thoughts after finding the note in the note from Pam.


Title: A Good Day  
Author: Megan Johnston  
Rating: PG  
Fandom: The Office  
Pairings: Jim/Pam  
Spoilers: Through end of season 3  
Summary: _"I never really came…back." "Well, I wish you would."_

Jim sat across from David Wallace, CFO of Dunder-Mifflin, contemplating what would happen if he got the job. Karen had already told him she would be willing to move to New York with him. She'd also made it perfectly clear she didn't want to stay in Scranton.

He didn't blame her, her reasoning made sense. If their relationship was to continue it couldn't be in Scranton – not with Pam's constant presence at reception.  
_  
Pam._

Her name flitted through his mind, refusing to leave.

"If I could just get your numbers for last quarter…" David said.

"Oh, sure, yeah," Jim said, reaching for his messenger bag to extract the folder.

"Just formalities really, sorry to make you do this."

"Oh it's no problem…" Jim trailed off mid-sentence as something caught his eye.

He had opened the folder and a bit of paper with a gold yogurt lid stapled to it had fallen out.  
_  
Jim,_  
_  
Don't forget us when you're famous._  
_  
Pam_

David was still talking, and Jim heard himself supplying answers automatically, but all his attention was now on the familiar handwriting.

Beach Day had been…interesting to say the least. The entire day was so typical of Michael, but than that night Pam's speech had been so…not Pam-like.

He'd noticed her in recent weeks, this Fancy New Pam Beesly, who was suddenly more assertive. She was still Pam, but a happier and more liberated Pam. She wasn't trapped in a dead-end relationship anymore, she'd realized she deserved better than Roy.

But now he was the one stuck in a dead-end relationship. A rebound one no less.

And suddenly she'd laid it all on the table.

"_I called off my wedding because of you. And now we're not even friends."_

The accusation in her voice had cut through him like a knife.

"_I came back, but I never really came…back."_

It'd been a lame attempt at an explanation, but she'd somehow understood what he meant.

"_Well, I wish you would."_

And then - that look in her eyes. Her eyes showed every bit of emotion she felt and he had to fight to keep his own face expressionless. There'd been so much he wanted to say. But his mouth had gone dry and awkward silence had ensued.

Six months he'd been with Karen. That was a long time for a rebound relationship. It was largely a one-sided relationship. She put far more into it than he did. She wanted to talk things out, make things work…but it wasn't helping. All those long repetitive conversations did was push him further away.

There had been a bit of a spark. Just a glimmer, but then it had been smothered.

And the haircut had been the last straw.

"_Jim, you need to look presentable if you're going to interview at Corporate," Karen's voice was firm. "You need a haircut."_

"_Why, what's wrong with my hair?" he'd demanded, indignant._

"_You look like a homeless person," she'd informed him. "It sticks out everywhere and just looks terrible."_

He'd felt like a kid again, being dragged to the hairdresser. Not even just a regular hairdresser either, the salon where Karen went.

"_Something presentable, something polished," Karen told the stylist._

Later, when he was finally home alone he stared at his reflection in the mirror for a long time. He felt like a complete idiot.

"_Man, she has got you whipped!" Mark had laughed upon hearing the story._

He knew she was trying to help him, give him a push in the right direction, but it was a pretty forceful push. He didn't like change much, he preferred to stay in his comfort zone.

"So…long term, where do you see yourself in ten years?"

Startled out of his reverie Jim blanked for a minute. Where did he see himself in ten years? He never really thought about long term plans much. Long term plans rarely turned out the way he'd imagined.

"In ten years I…" he began, fumbling for an answer. He paused and swallowed hard, glancing down at the scrap of paper in his lap.  
_  
Don't forget us._

He could never do that.

"Sorry, but I…I need to go," Jim said, standing up abruptly.

"Pardon?"

"I don't belong here," Jim said. "I'd like to stay in Scranton – for now anyway. Maybe in a few years I'll be ready for corporate, but not now."

David blinked, "May I ask why?"

"It's…personal," Jim said, slinging his bag over his shoulder and clutching the note in his hand. "I need to go, sorry I wasted your time."

And with that he was out the door.

As he exited the elevator on the ground floor he pulled out his cell phone and dialed.

It rang twice before she answered.

"Hey! I didn't think you'd be done so soon!" her voice was excited. "So…how'd it go?"

"I turned it down."

There was a pause.

"What do you mean you _turned it down_?" Karen's voice had taken on that harsh tone he was growing more and more used to. The one that held a thinly veiled threat in it.

"I turned it down," Jim repeated, his voice firmer.

"Why?" she asked, although the catch in her voice told him she already knew why.

"I don't belong here," he replied.

"That's it then is it?"

"Yeah…look, I'm sorry."

He winced. Had he really just pulled the "I'm sorry" break-up?  
_  
Just don't say it's not you, it's me._

Unfortunately his mouth misinterpreted what his brain was trying to tell him.

"It's not you, it's me," he said in a rush, then slapped his forehead. He sounded so stupid!

"Yeah…well…goodbye Jim."

With that the phone went dead.

Jim pulled the phone away from his ear and looked at it for a second.

"How is she going to get back?" he asked himself, although he was extremely relieved he wouldn't have to deal with that awkward car ride.

He jogged down the steps of the corporate office building and headed off to where he'd parked earlier in the day.

As he drove back a million different thoughts fought with each other.

He might have just ruined any chance of advancing into a real career at Dunder-Mifflin, but he really didn't care. All that mattered right now was that he was single, Pam was single and they could finally admit to each other that there was definitely something more there.

Two hours later, he pulled into the parking lot of the office. He turned off the engine and took a deep breath before stepping out of the car.  
_  
Now or never,_ he thought. _Oh my god, when the hell did I get so lame?_

The elevator ride agitated him. He'd never noticed it took so long. He practically ran into the office, but Pam wasn't at her desk. He looked around wildly, then spotted her in the conference room with the documentary crew being interviewed.

"You have got to be kidding me," he said in exasperation.

He wavered for a moment before, "Ah the hell with it!"

In three strides he was at the door and threw it open. The camera swung to face him, but he hardly noticed. His attention was on Pam, who looked completely taken aback to see him.

"Sorry," he said, even though he really wasn't. "Hey Pam, so are you free for dinner tonight."

For one horrible split second he thought she'd say no, but instead he heard that wonderful word.

"Yes."

"Alright then…it's a date," Jim grinned, feeling his breath come back. He hadn't realized he'd been holding it.

He closed the door, turned to face the office at large, noticed several heads had turned in his direction, but instead of addressing any of them, simply left. Once he'd reached the  
hallway he grinned.

Today was going to be a good day.


End file.
